Payback - Bed of Angels
by Hero's Chanson
Summary: Honestly, the more he thought about their arrangement, the more he felt like a whore. An unpaid, severely mistreated whore, at that. Oh well, at least he got to top sometimes. Companion to "Four Letter Words."


The pungent smell of strawberries told Joey that he'd have to wash the sheets. Again. Seriously, this little arrangement he and Kaiba had going was running up his laundary bill. Not that he was complaining. A creature of habit, Joey liked this routine fucking-system they had developed. It usually started with a drunken text or a challenge to a duel — or a drunken challenge to a duel — before moving on to a sloppy make-out session on Joey's couch and ending inevitably in a race for the strawberry-flavored lube. Whoever won topped.

With as few movements as possible, Joey pulled the covers up over his head, trying to forget that he had bottomed for the third night in a row. He felt a cool impression across his stomach, as if something lying on it had just been removed (an arm? No, impossible). He was teetering on the edge of unconsciousness and yearned to fall, to delay the morning-after shame, to halt the impending hang-over headache, but the sound of his bedroom door softly closing dragged him from the precipice.

Sighing, he got up and pulled on last night's boxers before opening his door and peering around the corner. Kaiba hadn't even reached the front door yet.

"Breakfast?" Joey called to him, just loud enough for him to hear without breaking the early morning hush. It was a simple word, not even a proper question, but had so many other implications. Like, acknowledging their filthy nighttime habits, addressing bitter and hurt feelings, choosing between civilized silence and dreadful small talk. Kaiba's answer was always the same, and Joey kind of hoped it always would be.

Without a word, he merely shut the door behind him in something to loud too be a gentle close, but too soft to be a slam, and that, too, was routine.

So Joey sat down to breakfast alone — slowly, of course, he was still sore. It was nothing special, just a cold bowl of some cavity-inducing cereal. He tried vainly everytime he bought a box to convince Tristan that he did it because it was an economically conscious decision, not because he was a kid at heart and really wanted that damn Duel Monsters toy hidden beneath sugared flakes. But he could not hide his excitement when a little clink foretold the toy's descent. He moved the cereal around with his index finger and fished out the thing: a shiny little Blue Eyes. How fucking appropriate.

Joey briefly considered throwing it away, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He won it, after all! Paid for it, too. So he tossed it in the drawer next to a Flame Swordsman and an Uraby and a dozen others.

He wanted so badly to distract himself as he ate. The news was interesting with the first murder, but the second, third, and seventh were just depressing. When had the inner city become such a dangerous place to live? He had no newspaper, though that was probably for the best. He had read every novel in the apartment at least twice. None of his friends were up yet, and quite frankly he shouldn't have been, either. It was all that bastard's fault; didn't he know how to leave quietly? And why did he even sleep over, anyway? For someone so proud, he sure as hell didn't mind his walk of shame back home.

Home...huh. Joey had never seen Kaiba's house, much less visited. He immediately imagined gargoyles of his beloved dragon on either side of a huge wrought-iron gate crossing the driveway to a blue, Dracula-style castle with spires reaching into the gloomy sky and lightning striking just behind the Blue Eyes weather vane.

Okay, so he had let his imagination run away, but he wouldn't be surprised in the least if he were right. Joey began to laugh, but the pressure accelerated the oncoming migraine and he punctuated it with a groan instead. He walked softly to the bathroom to retrieve the painkillers. He opened the bottle, removed the cotton, and frowned when he saw the thing was empty. He even shook it upside down to be sure. Who the fuck puts an empty bottle back in a medicine cabinet?

Well, he _did_ lived alone.

Massaging his aching temples, he headed back to his bedroom to sleep it off. He removed the soiled sheets and lay down on the bare bed. The pillow helped, but it wasn't enough, especially since one side smelled like a shampoo Joey would never use.

It was exactly that kind of thought that kick started an unstoppable and extremely dissatisfying chain reaction, but he welcomed the distraction from the pain anyway.

Joey didn't have the largest bed; after all, what would he do with the extra space? That said, it really wasn't big enough to fit two comfortably. Joey normally slept on his side, so Kaiba would have to lay that way, too, and kind of...sort of...spoon him from behind. Joey grimaced. Why would he _opt _to do that when he could've just left? Gone back to his castle?

Come to think of it, why didn't they ever go back to Kaiba's place? Okay, so there were quite a few reasons: Joey's apartment was closer to the city, he didn't have a little sibling hanging around, waiting to be corrupted by walking in on the wrong scene (not every night, at least), and Kaiba wouldn't want Joey touching his fine things, anyway.

That last one made Joey want to grit his teeth (though the headache wouldn't allow it). Honestly, the more he thought about their arrangement, the more he felt like a whore. An unpaid, severely mistreated whore, at that. Oh well, at least he got to top sometimes.

And what fun those nights were. He loved his spoils of victory: the pants turning into moans as his grip on Kaiba's hair tightened, the marks on the wall from where the headboard rammed into it, the inexplicable scratches on his back.

Joey smiled as he recalled going out on the yacht at Mokuba's request after a particularly rough night with his older brother. Completely forgetting the scars, he had discarded his T-shirt. He only remembered when Tristan, smirking lewdly all the while, leaned in and said, "Had a good time last night?"

Joey grinned and nodded. "Amazing."

Tristan looked the slightest bit impressed. "Hit it and quit it?"

Kaiba couldn't have chosen a better time to walk on deck. "Dunno," Joey said loudly enough for him to hear. "She's kinda crazy about me." He glanced behind him in time to catch him scowl, but didn't have much time to savor it. Mid laughter, Kaiba shoved him over board.

"Oops," he said and walked away.

That wasn't the end of Kaiba's payback, oh no. The following rendezvous, Joey won their little game way too easily. He was wary at first, but that gave way to ecstasy soon enough. They came together, and it was fantastic until Kaiba sat up and bit him just above the shoulder, hard enough to draw blood.

"Try explaining _that _to your little friends," he said before licking away the trail of a stray crimson droplet down Joey's chest.

Joey rolled his eyes and shoved him down roughly before pulling out none too gently.

Joey frowned a little at that last memory. It really wasn't easy to explain away that mark, especially since it was instantly recognizable as a bite and Tea was the one to discover it. Kaiba had won again. At least he wasn't there to see Joey's flustered reassurances that it was nothing, really, just a bit of misdirected fun.

A long, humming throb grabbed his temples and spread to the bridge of his nose and top of his spine. This headache was something only sleep could solve, but the pulsating pain diverted all attempts to nod off. Punching his pillow in defeat, he slowly rose and dressed. He grabbed his keys, phone, and crumpled bills and headed out the apartment.

He managed to block out most of the light and noise of the neighborhood, though, at this hour, there were only the muted sounds of people speeding off to wait in traffic on the way to work. Joey briskly walked to the nearest bodega (it wasn't even his favorite) and bought another bottle of OTC painkillers. He gulped a few immediately, gagging a little at the after taste, before heading back to his apartment building.

By the time he reached his block, the pain had already subsided to the point where he considered actually doing something later. His thoughts were interrupted by his phone's vibration.

"10:00?" said the message from Jerk Face.

Joey recognized the implications right away. Every once in a while, Kaiba would proposition him instead of the other way around by basically asking him if he was available at the indicated time. He tended to do it after particularly trying days, presumably so he'd have someone to take out his aggression on. Considering that the day had only begun, he must have lost a deal or something. Kaiba _lost _something. That made Joey smile even if he himself were not the immediate victor.

He was about to reply with "Sure," but hesitated. He really wanted this satisfaction to last, to prolong his rival's displeasure. To answer in the affirmative was to allow him an outlet, give him reprieve, but to answer in the negative...

"No can do," he typed instead. Before he could send the revised message, he ran through the possible responses. Would Kaiba beg him to reconsider? Claim that he needed him? As immensely gratifying as that would be, it was _highly _improbable. So he decided to toss him a little game. "Serenity's staying the night." Send. It was a blatant lie, but, hey.

His phone didn't vibrate again until he was once again in his bedroom.

"Then you come to me for once," the message said.

Joey almost laughed. Kaiba could make it sound like an order all he wanted, but that was basically an admission of want, of lust, of attraction.

"I don't know...there's Mokuba. And I don't even know where you live..." This was actually kind of fun.

The next response was much quicker. "Fuck you."

"Ask nicely and maybe you can." Definitely fun.

It took a few minutes but the next message finally came: "Come, fuck, and leave. Don't bother my brother. And no breakfast."

Joey blinked. Was he...was he actually winning this? "Sure, fine."

The address took a while coming, as if Kaiba was having second thoughts (which Joey wouldn't have doubted), but it came.

Smiling, he tossed the phone on the dresser and lay down, drifting off into dreamless, ibuprofen-induced sleep.

What felt like two and a half minutes later, Joey opened his eyes and it was dark. He glanced at his alarm clock: 9:02. No time like the present.

In under half an hour, Joey was showered, dressed, and out the door. He recalled the address Kaiba had given him and thought briefly about how to get there before choosing the proper path and walking.

Again he wondered what the place looked like, and again he pictured the great blue castle. He knew it was too comical to be reality, but he half expected to be right, especially when he seemed to leave civilization and the houses around him got bigger with each passing block.

Joey had always known that he didn't live far from suburbia, but never had reason or incentive to stroll through it, as he was doing now. He didn't know what he had expected, but it wasn't this, the perfectly manicured lawns and neatly trimmed hedges and little bird baths and ornate door knockers and unshakable tranquility that blanketed the streets.

He took a right and walked up a hill. If he was right, then his destination was at the summit. Joey felt a flutter in his stomach with each step. Once high enough, the estate revealed itself little by little. The first thing he saw were the tips of a tall, wrought-iron gate that, sadly, did not seat dragon gargoyles. Next came the house, and once again Joey was disappointed. Instead of the overreaching, horror-inspired chateau was a blue plantation style house with white trimmings. Two beautiful, powerful pillars guarded the front entrance, looking idly on the long, narrow driveway and just beyond the gate.

Joey stood at the gate and drew a blank. Did he call in or...? Before he could push the red button on the intercom, the gate parted slowly. He couldn't decide whether that was supposed to be ominous or inviting, but made his way up the driveway nonetheless. Kaiba greeted him at the door. His eyes were swimming with some dark emotion that Joey couldn't quite identify. Not that he cared, it was a major turn on, and it took a lot of will-power not to bend Kaiba over and go in right here in the doorway.

Though the insistent tug at Joey's shirt to pull him inside sure made it seem like he wouldn't have minded. Joey cleared his throat of the mounting lust building up there.

"Eager much?" he said petulantly. He looked around the foyer at the eggshell colored walls, the marble staircase, the glass chandelier throwing rainbows around haphazardly. "Not gonna gimme the grand tour?"

"Shut up," Kaiba said before turning and beckoning Joey to follow.

They ascended the stairs and took a left down a wide corridor, at the end of which was a slightly ajar door. Kaiba pushed it open and let Joey go in first. It was immaculate but plain, no personal effects to give it an identity or indicate ownership.

"The guest room," Kaiba said before Joey could ask.

He didn't spend much time being disappointed. He discarded his coat on the floor, turned, and pulled Kaiba into an experimental kiss that immediately deepened into something wanton. They paused only to shimmy out of garments or catch their breaths. They fell onto the bed, Kaiba on top and moving his hips ever so slightly in semblance of what he wanted to be doing soon, apparently. All Joey's attempts to reverse their positions were thwarted by added pressure here or little nibbles there, so he settled for biding his time.

A door closed securely in the distance, just on the peripherals of their hearing. Kaiba paused his ministrations to listen for more. Taking advantage of the distraction, Joey flipped them so he was sitting triumphantly on Kaiba's lower stomach. The other barely registered the inversion, seeming to still be paying attention to something just beyond the closed door, and this frustrated Joey. He tapped Kaiba's lips gently with his left index finger and traced a path slowly down his face, neck, chest, nipple, and stomach. He shifted a little to allow his roaming digit to continue its trail to its destination.

Kaiba stifled a gasp as Joey's finger traced his cock to the head and returned his attention to Joey. He looked the slightest bit confused and a hint irritated.

"Next time pay attention," Joey said as if scolding a child.

"You idiot, what if that was my —?" Joey wrapped his hand around Kaiba's cock and pumped once, nice and slow, effectively shutting him up.

"No talking," Joey said in that same tone. "Don't wanna wake up any innocent little boys." He grinned mischievously.

"What're you —?" Joey tugged again and laughed softly at the light pink dusting Kaiba's cheeks, though from frustration, embarrassment, or arousal he couldn't tell.

Deciding he had stalled long enough, Joey kept pumping and reached down with his free hand to do the same to himself, working into an almost-rhythm. He felt the pressure build up and slowed to a stop. Right hand on his own cock, he instinctively reached out with his left for a nightstand that wasn't there before remembering that they were in a different room than usual.

"Where do you keep the lube?" he asked, looking around as if that could summon it.

Kaiba rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Fuck," he said quietly. "It's in my room."

"So go get it."

"Too risky." He glanced at Joey. "Just do it without it."

Joey smirked. He leaned down so his mouth was right at Kaiba's left ear. "You sure?" he all but breathed. "It's gonna hurt like a bitch." Honestly, Joey relished the idea. He had wanted to do this since the first time they fucked, as some twisted plot for revenge or payback or something. He didn't think he'd actually get the chance, though; that just filled him with a triumphant, giddy feeling that made him wonder why he didn't just push in now.

"Of course I'm sure," Kaiba said with a conviction Joey would admire had it belonged to anyone else.

He waited for Kaiba to adjust before introducing dick to entrance. He paused to savor the moment before pushing in, slowly and steadily. Kaiba's grip on his upper arm tightened, but he otherwise said nothing. Joey continued until he was fully sheathed and waited. In the interim, this direct skin-on-membrane contact was driving Joey nuts. It was intoxicating, as it always was, to be this close to, this deep inside of anyone. Even if it was Kaiba.

Speaking of, Joey felt Kaiba loosen around him and took that as an incentive to move. And move he did. The initial unabated friction caused them both to shudder, making the decision to go dry the best of the night.

Joey leaned down onto his elbows and changed angles. The best part of this little system they had was that Joey knew by now exactly where Kaiba's prostate was and thus knew exactly how to avoid it. He wanted so badly to tease and torment until the man beneath him was reduced to a quivering bundle of nerves to be undone with a touch.

He could feel Kaiba growing restless with all that pent up lust and no outlet. He fidgeted back and forth to get Joey to strike the right spot, but Joey would suddenly stop moving until he lay still. He tried twice to invert their positions, but Joey shifted his weight to resist the motion. He reached down toward his cock, but Joey pulled his hand away and trapped both his wrists in either side of him.

"Come on, Wheeler," he said hoarsely. "Do something."

"Maybe if you ask nicely." Like _that _would happen. Lucky for him, Joey was nearing his release. He slowed down and shifted angles ever so slowly so that he was aligned at the right place. He thrust in roughly, held it there, withdrew, and did it again. Joey groaned and hung his head, his bangs falling into his eyes, and Kaiba bit his bottom lip as they came together.

Joey was in no rush to withdraw completely, and Kaiba was in no state to push him away. Joey leaned down to kiss him gently and smiled when he felt the slightest of tremors ripple through Kaiba at the touch.

They stayed like that for a while, kissing softly and still connected, until Kaiba pushed Joey away. He fixed him with a slight glare and said, "No breakfast."


End file.
